Binge drinking on the rise in B.C.

Michael V?Inkin Lee, Vancouver Sun06.29.2012

British Columbians are among the healthiest people in the country, according to a recent report from Statistics Canada, but the data also shows that heavy drinking is on the rise. Statistics released on June 19 in the 2011 Community Health Survey, show that binge drinking in B.C. among respondents 12 years and older rose by one percentage point between 2010 and 2011.

Related

British Columbians are among the healthiest people in the country, according to a recent report from Statistics Canada, but the data also shows that heavy drinking is on the rise.

Statistics released on June 19 in the 2011 Community Health Survey, show that binge drinking in B.C. among respondents 12 years and older rose by one percentage point between 2010 and 2011. Overall, alcohol consumption in males increased by nearly two per cent from around 22 per cent in 2010 to approximately 24 per cent in 2011, while the percentage of female drinkers surveyed remains largely unchanged. The Health Survey defined heavy drinking as consuming five or more drinks on one occasion at least once a month in the past year. Binge drinking nationwide rose by two per cent.

Although the increases may not seem significant, health researchers are nevertheless concerned that more Canadians seem to be overindulging in alcohol.

“It’s a worrying trend,” said Dan Reist, assistant director for the University of Victoria’s Centre for Addictions Research of B.C. “It’s time that we as Canadians start to think about and start to become more conscious about our relationship with alcohol.”

The centre played a consulting role in B.C.’s current anti-binge drinking awareness campaign, BingeDrinking.ca. Posters and billboards can be found around Vancouver showing the timeline of human evolution in reverse — a man devolving into an ape — to illustrate the destructive effects of alcohol when not consumed in moderation. The campaign took off largely as the result of the Stanley Cup riots last year, according to Reist.

Although heavy drinking among some hockey fans was only a partly responsible for the chaos that erupted following Boston’s win over Vancouver — combined with emotional responses to the moment — alcohol abuse as a whole is a growing problem, explained Tim Dyck, research associate at the centre.

“We realized that the consumption rates of alcohol are going up and have been going up in our province,” Dyck said. “It remains a concern for us because we know that there is a greater prevalence of acute harm associated with episodes where individuals drink to the point of drunkenness.”

A separate bulletin by the Centre for Addictions Research released on June 21 on overdose incidents in B.C. found that hospitalizations for alcohol overdose in the province rose by 16 per cent between 2002 and 2009 with the largest increases within the Fraser and Vancouver Island health authorities. The Vancouver Coastal Health Authority reported more than half of emergency room visits between 2008 and 2010 were related to alcohol poisoning. The study concluded that alcohol remains a “major substance of concern” and that its contribution to overdoses in the report is also likely underestimated.

Many factors may have contributed to the rise in heavy drinking in B.C. and across Canada, Dyck said. The centre’s research has identified elements such as the privatization of provincial liquor stores and price considerations that can directly impact the frequency and amount of alcohol people consume.

But Dyck also believes the phrase “binge drinking” itself may have an unintended allure for young adults. The Statistics Canada Community Health Survey recorded nearly a three per cent increase in heavy drinking between 2010 and 2011 among people aged the 20 to 34.

“A term like ‘binge drinking’ can invite youth to engage in it,” said Dyck. “[It’s] a contested term. It could even be appealing.”

The University of B.C.’s most recent student health surveys found that around 61 per cent of female undergraduates and 44 per cent of male undergraduates consumed four or fewer alcoholic beverages when they drank, said Dr. Patricia Mirwaldt, a physician and UBC’s director of Student Health Services.

“But what we have found though is that when students drink they tend to [overindulge],” she said.

Thirty per cent of the students polled for the UBC survey, determined through a combination of self-reporting and independent verification, tested with blood-alcohol content above 0.08 per cent. B.C.’s current drinking laws only allow for a blood-alcohol content of 0.05 per cent before police can issue roadside prohibitions.

North American culture often regards alcohol as something that is a rite of passage into adulthood, a final barrier into maturity, said research associate Dyck. The association between drinking and being away from home at college is attractive to adolescents and young adults as a token or symbolic gesture of freedom, he added.

“It’s the forbidden fruit that needs to be eaten or the taboo that needs to be broken or ignored,” said Dyck. “That’s one of the issues that attaches to the term.”

mvinkinlee@vancouversun.com

Comments

We encourage all readers to share their views on our articles and blog posts. We are committed to maintaining a lively but civil forum for discussion, so we ask you to avoid personal attacks, and please keep your comments relevant and respectful. If you encounter a comment that is abusive, click the "X" in the upper right corner of the comment box to report spam or abuse. We are using Facebook commenting. Visit our FAQ page for more information.

In less than a week, Abbotsford recording artists Hedley went from touring Canada with two supporting acts and a popular new album to pariahs ensnared in allegations of sexual misconduct. On Monday, accusations that band members Jacob Hoggard, Dave Rosin, Tommy Mac and Jay Benison had engaged in sexual behaviour with teenage girls surfaced on Twitter […]

Almost Done!

Postmedia wants to improve your reading experience as well as share the best deals and promotions from our advertisers with you. The information below will be used to optimize the content and make ads across the network more relevant to you. You can always change the information you share with us by editing your profile.

By clicking "Create Account", I hearby grant permission to Postmedia to use my account information to create my account.

I also accept and agree to be bound by Postmedia's Terms and Conditions with respect to my use of the Site and I have read and understand Postmedia's Privacy Statement. I consent to the collection, use, maintenance, and disclosure of my information in accordance with the Postmedia's Privacy Policy.

Postmedia wants to improve your reading experience as well as share the best deals and promotions from our advertisers with you. The information below will be used to optimize the content and make ads across the network more relevant to you. You can always change the information you share with us by editing your profile.

By clicking "Create Account", I hearby grant permission to Postmedia to use my account information to create my account.

I also accept and agree to be bound by Postmedia's Terms and Conditions with respect to my use of the Site and I have read and understand Postmedia's Privacy Statement. I consent to the collection, use, maintenance, and disclosure of my information in accordance with the Postmedia's Privacy Policy.